As we discussed in a previous post, JOSM is an important component of the research currently being done in the region. It’s being implemented to unify a variety of disparate research. The plan is designed to provide scientifically credible oil sands monitoring, with a broader view to “cumulative impacts,” the collected impacts of all producers in the oil sands region.

Announced in 2012 and set to be implemented by 2015, JOSM is still a relatively new addition to the oil sands landscape. Here are five essential things you need to know about JOSM:

1. JOSM is being designed to be the most scientifically rigourous, comprehensive, integrated and transparent environmental monitoring of the oil sands region – ever.

Measurements of impacts on air, water and native species provide a glimpse into the health of the oil sands ecosystem and are of great interest to both residents and non-residents.

Air measurements look at data like the level of airborne particulates, while water measurements consider a variety of water quality metrics like pH scale and fish health. Plant and animal monitoring is also an essential part of JOSM’s activities, which considers contaminants harmful to wildlife, such as mercury.

4. JOSM will be phased-in over three years.

JOSM is currently focused on taking measurements that will form the basis for baseline yardsticks against which all future data will be compared. It’s still in the early days of JOSM implementation. By 2015, JOSM is expected to have collected three years of data for comparison, providing an essential look into the relative health of the area’s ecosystems.

5. JOSM is funded by industry but operated by government.

Together, the oil sands industry provides $50 million in annual funding for JOSM.

While the organization receives its funding from the producers whose impacts it monitors, JOSM is entirely arms-length. Beyond the funding provided, the industry has no influence on how the program operates.

Oil Sands Question and Response (OSQAR) is a blog created by Suncor Energy to support constructive dialogue about the oil sands. In our weekly posts, we talk about the energy industry, environmental impact, tailings management and reclamation, water management and the social and economic implications of oil sands development.

Our oil sands operations are near Fort McMurray, Alberta, where we recover bitumen from oil sands through mining and in situ operations. The bitumen from both operations is then upgraded to refinery-ready feedstock and diesel fuel. More about the where and the what of the oil sands can be found on our oil sands resource page.